Miniature toy phonograph



I May 17,1949;

|. sou:

MINIATURE TOY PQONOGRAPH Filed Feb'. 21, 1948 Patented May 17, 1949 on rice MINIATURE TOY PHONOGRARH. 1

Ira Gold; Chicago TIlL, assignorito Atlas :Toyiom-. pany, Chicago, 111., atorporation of'llliii'ois.

Application February 21, 1948, Serial No. 9,985

(CILIZM- -M. K

2 Claims.

My invention relates to "a miniature "hand operated my phonograph for reproducing sound from records with volume and fidelitmiortheentertainmen't and amusement of a child.

Am-ongnthe objects-ofmy invention are to provide. a phonograph of reduced size,-whichmayrbe operate d-wbyfia-chil to provide such aephono graphwhich will reproduce from grooved rec-7 ords: voices orrmusic .ior: the entertainmenti or. education of. a child; to provide suchza phono-i graph which.- is hand operated so,- as to: impart tethe child-Ya "feelingof V accomplishmentand-skill in. producing ,thehsounda. and to lprovide flsuchia device which is: attractiveiinr appearance, simple and a fool proofs in operation and :econom-icala of. manufacture.

My invention also contemplates such otherob jects, advantages and capabilities as will. later. more fully appear, and-:which are -inherently. possessedbyrmy invention While. I .have shown: in the accompanying drawing ahpreferredform .of mylinvention, yet. it is lunderstoodtthatwthe same is susceptiblenoiv modification-and change withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a to plan viewof, miniature.toys-phonograph; Fig. 2is. a. side elevational view; Fig-r3 isia -detailed=sectional viewofline 3 3-of Fig. 2;. Fig.4 isnatbotvtom planrview; Fig; *5 is a detailed. sectional -view of thebasel-andturn-table oniline 55 of-Fig; 3,v with .the tone arm .shown in dottedtlines; Fig. 6 ha iront ViBWmOf the.--t-one .armnwithithewhorn removed; and Fig. '7 is adetailedsectionalview on line 1-"l of-Fig. 6, withxthe.horninrplace,

A preferred embodiment of my. invention coma prises ahollow body member lll'jwhi'chfiisqpreierably. made of moldedipla'sticb Bodymember lllf isapproximately '2" high and has atone end a circular'portionv I I having a diameter slightly in excess of 4". 'Thelother end of body member ll) formsxa projection I2. Near the end-of, projec. tion I2 isa pivotpost;13;whichextends upwardlyfrombody'member l0 and whichhasa hollow interior. Pivot post 13 also extends downwardly into the interior of body'member' Ill.

Extending upwardly from the center of, circus lar portion H ofbody' member l0"'is.a hollow turntable-post 14;which also extends into the ine terior of body member 10. turntable post'l l isa turntable shaft l5,"which;is-. attached to circular. turntable I6." Turtablel'jl li may be formed of metal or plastic and has aldi-A ameter or: approximately 4". Turntable Hi ispf smallthickness; andis turned downaroundtitsl Extending through circumference. to forman edgezal I; which extends downwardlye-f'lliev center; portion; l8a-of turn: tables 16 iis-=oiwigreater thickness than the remainder .so=as'.tcnprovidei balance and evenness while-turntable. l6 isin rotation.

M0llIIt8d7'Wi'thiI1 the interior of body member ilkionothe lowervend' 'ofturntable post is a inetalewashen: i9, "which surrounds turntable shaft 15. The; 6nd,:0f turntable: shaft l5-is provided a zsmal-l opening, :through which extends a cottenzpin r1511, the. ends} or which are bent and which-bear: uponmetalwasher |9=.

Theitopsuriacebf.turntable H5 is provided with a ismalligguideispinriU of smaller :diameter; than turntable shaft 15,:and whichis-positioned a short distance. :itheref-romr In operation; phonograph records cased; with mydevice' must-have atcenter, openingzto', anti-aroundv turntab1e'. sha-ft I 5,- and a small? opening to; fitl around guide pin: 20'. This prevents-records placed upon-turntable 16 from slipping,- whilewtheturntable: is, in rotation.

Body :member" l 0 isi provided. at, one side with an:openingcthrough-which extends a met'aldrive shaft 21; the outer end of whichis bent to dorm amhandle -22"::having.:;a-crotatable hand grip' 23. DriveV-shafta-Zl is held-Within the hollow interior onbody membenlihby ,aflat spring 24, one end of which extends across and is curved. to fit and holdadriveeshait 21;:andthe other-end of which isrheldmyqa-tscrew-25 to. -projection :26; which extendsi drama the inside surface' of: -body em lilyv Flatispring, '24 provides a continuous upward pressure-against drive shaft-2 If.

Mounted: on-rdrive shaft '2 i beyond flatspring 24-is avedrive'iwheeldl,-:the outer circumferential ed es of: Whichprovid-e a rim; in which isfitted a rubbeirecovering- 28.= Drive wheel 21 extends through anaopening inqbody member in and is of such iaidiameten that its rubber covering 28 contacts, the-bottomsurface oflturnt-able W.- The rotationwphand grip 231on'handle 22 thus causes therrotationiofldrive shaft 2 I-, drive Wheel 21* and turntablealii. Beyondidrive wheel 21., drive shaft ZIPterminates-in apainoi-shoulders 29, which'extend downwardly -from the inside of the: top surface of .bodmm-ember. I 0.

"Adjacent handle 22, Wheelv -30 is rotatably mounted .1011 t a! projection. 31 which extends upwardly irom the top of body member 19. Wheel 3u-viS(-.GOVeI-'fid-'With'a, rubber tire '32, which contacts Lthe ibottom'aoi; turntable IE to; provide an additional-point oisupport and balance for turntable L6 .1

Attached -tQ 1:he: -end-\Of= DiV'Ot DDSU l3 within thetinterion-ioft bod-y: member I 0 is: :a .-coi1-v spring 33. The other end of coil spring 33 is attached to a flywheel shaft 34, which extends upwardly through opening 35 in body member [0. Opening 35 is sufficiently large to permit flywheel shaft 34 to move a slight distance toward or away from pivot post 43. Mounted on flywheel shaft 34 are a flywheel 3'6 and an arm 37. Arm 3'! extends at an angle of approximately 120 from coil spring 33, and is attached at its opposite end to the inside of the upper surface of body member I0. Mounted on flywheel shaft 34 directly above flywheel 36 is a rubber covered wheel 38. Wheel 38 contacts the inner surface of edge 11 of turntable I6 and is held there by coil spring 33 while turntable 4-6 is in rotation. Flywheel 36 thus serves as a governor to turntable l6 and aids its smooth rotation.

Adapted to fit within hollow opening of the upper portion of pivot post I 3 is a metal pin 39, which is slightly smaller in diameter than the interior of pivot post 43. Metal pin 39 is mounted in the lower end of pin arm 40, the lower surface of which is adapted to rotate on the upper surface of pivot post I3. Extending at a right angle to pin arm 40 is tone arm 4|, which is preferably formed of plastic. The end of tone arm 4i terminates in a circular portion 42. Mounted within circular portion 42 is a diaphragm 43, which is preferably formed means is a wooden vibrator 44, which contacts diaphragm 43 only at the center of the diaphragm, leaving the remainder of the diaphragm free to vibrate. Vibrator 44 extends past the edge of diaphragm 43, where it is enclosed in an aluminum sheath 45. Adjacent the edge of diaphragm 43 are two projections 46 and 4'! on each side of vibrator 44. A holding pin 48 passes through projections 46 and 47 and through vibrator 44 and metal sheath 45 in order to hold vibrator 44 and sheath 45 from improper lateral movement. The bottom of vibrator 44 is provided with a small opening, which is adapted to receive a conventional phonograph needle 43. Near the end of vibrator 44 is an opening in which is mounted a set screw 50, which contacts and holds phonograph needle 49 in place.

A horn 52, which is preferably formed of plastic, terminates at its smaller end in a circular end portion 53, which is adapted to fit within the circular portion 42 of tone arm 4|. Circular end portion 53 is sealed within circular portion 43,

portion 42 is convex and is provided with a plurality of openings. In operation, vibrations pass from a grooved phonograph record to phonograph needle 49 and in turn to vibrator 44. Vibrator 44 causes these vibrations to be imparted to diaphragm 43, the movement of which results in movements of the surrounding circular portion 42. The entire tone arm and horn assembly pivots on pivot post l3 so as to follow needle 49 as it passes across turntable Hi.

In operation, my miniature toy phonograph is assembled by placing metal pin 39 in pivot post 13. A grooved phonograph record is then placed on turntable to. Needle 49 is placed in the outside groove of the phonograph record opposite handle 22. The user then grasps hand grip 23 and turns handle 22. This causes the rotation of turntable I8, which is balanced at three points so that it will not tip or rock. As turntable l6 rotates, the grooves on the phonograph record cause needle 49 to vibrate, and its vibrations are conveyed to diaphragm 43. Diaphragm 43 causes the surrounding air to vibrate and creates sound waves which pass through horn 52 and the back of circular portion 42 to the listener.

My miniature toy phonograph is so simple in operation that a small child may easily learn to use it properly. Through its use, a child may play nursery rhymes or simple music for its amusement, listen to stories, or learn arithmetic tables or other school lessons in a way which is attractive and interesting.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A miniature toy phonograph comprising a through an opening in said base sufficiently large to permit slight lateral movement of said flywheel shaft, an arm attached at one end to said flywheel shaft and at its other end to said base,

needle, a horn mounted in said circular end portion of said arm phragm,

manually operable from outside said base to rotate said drive shaft, a drive wheel mounted on said drive shaft with its outer edge contacting the lower surface of said turntable, a flywheel shaft extending through an opening in said base beneath said turntable, a flywheel mounted on said shaft within said base and a balance wheel mounted on said shaft above said base and beneath said turntable, said balance wheel having its outer edge in contact with the inside of the downturned edge of said turntable, said drive shaft, drive wheel, turntable, flywheel and balance wheel adapted to rotate upon the manual operation of said hand crank, an arm pivotally mounted on said base, said arm having a circular end portion, a paper diaphragm mounted in said circular end portion, a vibrator attached at one end to the center of said diaphragm and extending radially from the center of said diaphragm at a sufficient distance therefrom to permit vibration of said diaphragm,'said vibrator having its other end mounted in said arm, and adapted to receive and hold a phonograph needle, a horn mounted on said arm adjacent said diaphragm, said vibrator, diaphragm and horn adapted to receive through a phonograph needle vibrations from a grooved phonograph record on said turntable as said turntable is rotated, and to convert said vibrations into audible sound waves.

IRA GOLD.

REFERENCES CITED lhe following references are file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS of record in the Number 

